Tips for Ordering Funeral Flower Arrangements
Choosing funeral flower arrangements can be a profound way to honor a loved one's memory, yet it often feels overwhelming. I'll share my essential tips to help you select meaningful blooms, understand their significance, and budget wisely, creating a heartfelt tribute that truly reflects their life.
Ordering flowers for a funeral is never easy. You’re trying to strike a delicate balance—honoring someone’s memory, showing your sympathy to the family, and staying respectful of traditions and customs. It can be overwhelming, especially when emotions are high.
That’s why I put together this guide. Whether you’re sending flowers to a funeral home, memorial service, or to the family's home, these tips will help you make thoughtful and budget-conscious choices during a difficult time.
Understanding Funeral Flower Etiquette
Funeral flower etiquette can vary a lot depending on culture, religion, and even personal preference. Knowing a few key guidelines can help you avoid unintentionally sending the wrong message.
Certain flowers carry traditional meanings—lilies often represent purity and peace, while roses can symbolize love or respect depending on the color.
Here’s a quick breakdown of who typically sends what:
- Immediate family: casket sprays or large standing arrangements
- Close friends: standing sprays or floral wreaths
- Coworkers or acquaintances: basket arrangements or sympathy bouquets
You can also send flowers directly to the home of the grieving family. It’s a kind gesture that lets them know you’re thinking of them, even if you can’t be there in person.
It’s always a good idea to double-check any religious or cultural customs before sending flowers, as some traditions have specific preferences—or even avoid flowers entirely.
Choosing the Right Flowers
Every flower tells a story. When you’re choosing funeral flowers, think about what they represent and how they connect to the person you’re remembering.
Here are some classic choices and what they symbolize:
- Lilies – Purity and peace
- Roses – Love, respect (white for innocence, red for deep love)
- Carnations – Admiration, affection
- Chrysanthemums – Honor, integrity (especially in Asian and European cultures)
If the person had a favorite flower or color, it’s always nice to include that in the arrangement. It adds a personal touch and helps the flowers feel more like a tribute than a formality.
Gleeful Bouquet - Standard
from ProFlowers
Writing a Thoughtful Message
Your message doesn’t need to be long—it just needs to come from the heart.
A simple line like “With deepest sympathy—[Your Name]” works well. If you knew the person well, including a short memory or quality you admired can be incredibly meaningful to the family.
Don’t forget to sign your name and clarify your relationship to the deceased. It helps the family understand who the flowers are from during an emotional time.
Addressing and Sending Funeral Flowers
Make sure you provide all the right info when ordering flowers—especially if they’re going to a funeral home. Include the full name of the deceased, the date and time of the service, and the funeral home's name and address. If you're ordering from an online florist, most likely they will allow you to select the delivery location as a funeral home. Make sure to select this, as this will typically allow you to enter the name of the deceased and the service date.
If you’re sending flowers to the family’s home, it’s helpful to include a short note explaining your relationship. It makes your gesture feel more personal and appreciated.
You can also coordinate with others to avoid sending duplicate arrangements. Sometimes, pooling funds with friends or coworkers allows you to send a more impressive tribute without anyone overspending.
Reflecting the Life of the Deceased
Flowers don’t have to be generic. In fact, the best arrangements often reflect the personality of the person they honor.
Did they love gardening? Wildflowers might be perfect. Were they known for their vibrant, outgoing personality? Go with bright, bold blooms. More reserved? Soft tones might feel more fitting.
Including favorite flowers, hobbies, or even colors is a beautiful way to make an arrangement feel like it’s truly for them.
Flower Symbolism and What It Means
Understanding flower symbolism helps you craft a message without needing to say a word.
- Lilies – Purity, innocence
- Red roses – Deep love, respect
- White roses – Reverence, humility
- Chrysanthemums – Honor, remembrance
Choosing flowers that match the values or qualities of the person you're remembering turns your arrangement into a heartfelt tribute.
Pinkies Up Bouquet - Standard
from ProFlowers
Personalizing the Arrangement
Want to go a step further? Personalization can add meaning and warmth.
You might include a custom ribbon with a short message, or even tuck in a small memento like a photo or keepsake. For families, it can be incredibly moving to see details that reflect the life of their loved one.
If children or grandchildren want to participate, helping them pick flowers or write a short message can be a beautiful way to include them in the process.
Sticking to a Budget
Funeral flowers don’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. In fact, some of the most elegant arrangements are simple and understated.
Start by setting a budget. Then consider:
- Working with a local florist for personalized advice
- Comparing prices online
- Looking for seasonal or local flowers (they’re often more affordable and fresher)
- Pooling funds with others to afford a larger arrangement
Minimalistic designs or wreaths with fewer flowers can still make a strong, respectful impact.
Ordering and Delivery Tips
Timeliness is key. Order flowers as early as possible—ideally a day or two before the service. Aim for delivery a few hours before the event to ensure freshness.
Double-check the delivery address and make sure the florist knows the date, time, and venue for the service. Clear communication with the florist avoids stress on the day of the funeral.
Why Local Florist Delivery Matters for Funeral Services
When sending flowers directly to a funeral home, it's essential that they’re hand-delivered by a local florist. Funeral homes often have very tight schedules, and arrangements need to arrive at just the right time—fresh, elegant, and properly set up.
That’s why using local florist, or a flower provider that partners with local florists, is so important. These florists know the area, understand delivery windows, and can work directly with the funeral home staff to ensure everything goes smoothly.
Some trusted options that rely on local florists for creation and delivery include:
- 1-800-Flowers
- FTD
- ProFlowers
- Teleflora
Each of these services routes your order to a real florist near the funeral home, ensuring your arrangement arrives on time and in pristine condition—not in a box, and not left on a doorstep.
What to Do With Flowers After the Funeral
After the service, families are often left with many arrangements. These flowers can be repurposed or preserved in meaningful ways:
- Donate them to hospitals or nursing homes to brighten someone else’s day
- Press or dry flowers to create keepsakes like framed art or potpourri
- Plant something in memory of your loved one—creating a living tribute
- Share arrangements among family members as a way to extend the memory
These small gestures help flowers continue to bring comfort even after the service is over.
Final Thoughts
Ordering funeral flowers is a way to show you care. It's not just about sending something beautiful—it's about offering comfort, honoring a life, and expressing what words sometimes can’t.
Whether you go big or small, bright or subtle, personalized or traditional, what matters most is that your gesture comes from a place of respect and love.
Why Use SendFlowers.io for Funeral Flower Arrangements?
At SendFlowers.io, we make it easy to find the perfect funeral flower arrangement—without the stress.
Our platform lets you:
- Search across major florists like 1-800-Flowers, FTD, Teleflora, The Bouqs Co., ProFlowers, and UrbanStems
- Compare full delivered prices (so there are no surprises at checkout)
- Access the best available discounts, saving you money during an already difficult time
- Browse the biggest selection in one place, so you can find the right arrangement fast
Whether you’re looking for a traditional spray or something more personal, we help you send a meaningful tribute—for the lowest possible price.
When sending flowers for a funeral, you want it done right. That’s why SendFlowers.io exists—to help you search once, save money, and send beautifully.